High Art stars Ally Sheedy and Radha (I forget the last name). Radha plays Syd, an aspiring editor of a slick, artsy photography magazine based in (of course!) New York City. She lives downstairs from Lucy Berliner played by Ally Sheedy. When Syd ventures upstairs to stop the water from leaking into her apartment, she discovers 1) an apartment full of zoned out people and 2) some clearly excellent photographs hung around the walls of the apartment.
In her quest to get Lucy to take photographs for her magazine, Syd enters into Lucy's world which includes learning to snort heroin (much to the dismay of her boyfriend James who's waiting for her downstairs). As Lucy responds to the spark of ambition she sees in Syd, she becomes interested not only in the idea of taking new photographs, but in taking them with Syd as her editor and lover. As this romantic spark between Syd and Lucy becomes apparent to their current partners (James with Syd and a german actress with Lucy) they respond in their own unique ways. James tries to convince Syd that falling in with a heroin crowd will lead her nowhere. Lucy's lover simply tries to OD.
The love story is very sweet really and leads both Lucy and Syd down a very different path from the one they were on previously. Any more detail would spoil the ending which is extremely well crafted and portrayed. Ally Sheedy is extemely thin with protruding bones which adds to the characterization of the down and out life she's been living. The only thing that keeps her group zoned out rather than desperate on the streets is the seemingly endless amount of money Lucy has inherited.
Newcomer Radha is quite a discovery! She reminds me of a young Mariel Hemingway a la Manhattan. But instead of that squeaky little girl voice, she's got the full bodied, sensuousness of Isabella Rosselini. Her portrayal of Syd is absolutely stunning.
Sue Unruhe
on the scale: * ** *** **** ***** High Art gets: *****
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